Hernandez-Mendez Sentenced for Hit-and-Run; Victim’s Family Suspects Political Influence

Gabriel Hernandez-Mendez, the father of former Pennsylvania congressman and current Republican gubernatorial candidate Lou Barletta’s grandchild, received a 1-2 year sentence on Tuesday for a hit-and-run.

The incident, which occurred in June, left 15-year-old bicyclist Hector Padilla dead. Padilla’s father Pedro has said that he recognizes that what happened was an accident but that he also believes a much more severe sentence was warranted insofar as the 45-year-old Hernandez-Mendez drove away from the scene and kept quiet about it for 45 days.

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